1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a management apparatus for providing a parameter such as a user account to an external apparatus, and the invention also relates to the user apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has recently been a growth in opportunities of using a service on the world wide web by a communication apparatus. Some web services require authentication using the user account (for example, user ID and password) of a user in order to be used by the user. To use such a web service, a user account creation process and registration process are necessary. A user often uses the function of a web browser or the like to create and register a user account for a web service via the Internet. The user inputs, via a user interface (UI), a user account to be newly created so that the creation process is performed in the server of the web service and a form message or the like in HTML (Hypertext Markup Language). To make the created user account usable, the user accesses a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) for user account registration to register the user account.
It is difficult for a communication apparatus without the web browser function to create and register a user account. There has been proposed a technique of creating a user account in a communication apparatus and connecting it to a web service. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-167269 proposes a technique of dynamically generating a user account from part of information associated with a communication apparatus based on a user account generation rule.
In some web services, however, the web browser function is mandatory for the user account creation process. For example, some services require an image authentication code for creation. The image authentication code requests a person to read and input random numbers or characters displayed as an image so as to prevent automatic registration by a program or a robot. Use of the image authentication code makes it difficult for a communication apparatus without the web browser function to create a user account automatically.
In addition, services that designate a user's e-mail address as a user ID are increasing in number. That is, an e-mail address is necessary for user account creation in some cases. For the user account creation process of such a web service, an apparatus having a web browser function or e-mail sending/receiving function is necessary.
If a communication apparatus without the web browser function is to use a web service which needs a new user account, it is necessary to create the user account in another communication apparatus having the web browser function. Then, user account information identical to the created user account needs to be set and input in the communication apparatus without the web browser function again. The operation of setting and inputting the user account again is cumbersome, and decreases the convenience of the user.